Most surgery patients, and especially lung, heart and stomach surgery patients, require one or more drainage tubes for draining bodily fluids during post-operative recovery. A relatively small diameter tube is inserted into the patient's lung, chest cavity and/or stomach during surgery. The smaller diameter tube is then connected to a larger diameter drainage tube outside the patient's body for delivering the body fluids to a collection container. The larger diameter drainage tube is typically connected to the smaller diameter drainage tube by an adjustable diameter connecting tie, commonly referred to as a cable tie. The smaller diameter drainage tube is inserted into the larger diameter drainage tube to create an overlapping area of the drainage tubes. The cable tie is positioned around the overlapping area of the drainage tubes, and a free end of the cable tie is passed through a one-way slotted head provided on the opposite end of the cable tie. The free end is pulled through the slotted head until the cable tie is taut around the overlapping area on the outer periphery of the larger diameter drainage tube. In this manner, the drainage tubes are connected together and secured from being pulled apart by normal movements of the patient or the drainage tubes.
The excess length of the free end of the cable tie beyond the slotted head is typically cut away so that it does not become entangled with or snagged on the clothing of health care personnel treating the patient, the patient's clothing (e.g., hospital gown) and/or the patient's bedding. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to cut the free end of the cable tie close to the slotted head without leaving a sharp or jagged edge. The sharp or jagged edge on the cable tie can contact and rub against the patient's skin when the patient moves or when the drainage tubes are moved relative to the patient. At the very least, contact with the sharp or jagged edge of the cable tie is a source of discomfort for the patient. More seriously, however, repeated contact with the sharp or jagged edge of the cable tie causes irritation and/or injury, such as cuts and scrapes, to the skin of the patient. In some instances, the area of the irritation and/or injury to the patient's skin may become a source of infection. It is well documented that hospital acquired staph infections, also known as nosocomial infections, such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), are a leading cause of post-surgical complications, including death, among post-operative surgical in-patients.
It is known for nurses and other health care personnel to wrap surgical tape around a cable tie connecting drainage tubes to prevent the sharp or jagged edge of the free end of the cable tie from coming into contact with the patient's skin. However, dressing each cable tie with surgical tape can be tedious and time consuming, especially when a post-operative surgical patient has a number of drainage tubes, which in the case of a heart or lung surgery can be as many as nine different drainage tubes having at least two interconnections each. In addition, surgical tape can easily separate from itself and/or the cable tie if not applied properly and expose the adhesive of the tape to the ambient environment and to the patient's skin—thereby further increasing the risk of infection.
It is therefore apparent that a need exists for a device and method for protecting a surgical patient from injury and/or infection. A more particular need exists for a device and associated method for protecting a surgical patient from the sharp or jagged edge of a cable tie used to interconnect surgical drainage tubes. A specific need exists for such a device and method that relieves discomfort to the patient and reduces the incidence of nosocomial infections. In addition, the device and method needs to be relatively simple and fast for health care personnel to apply with little or no risk that the device will separate from itself or the cable tie and expose the patient to an adhesive.
Certain aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent, or will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art, as exemplary embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing figures are described in greater detail hereinafter. It is intended that all such aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention envisioned by this disclosure of exemplary embodiments are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims, given their broadest reasonable construction and interpretation. These aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention, as well as others not expressly disclosed, may be accomplished by any of the exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be appreciated that the drawing figures are for illustrative purposes only, and that many modifications, changes, revisions and substitutions may be made to any of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the intended broad construction and interpretation of the general concepts of the invention.